Lever operated rifle



N v- 2 1 w. B. MORRIS 2,961,791

' LEVER OPERATED RIFLE Filed Nov. 9, 1956 2 Sheeizs-Sheet 1 WILL/AM B. MORRIS A T TOR/VE Y RAM Nov. 29, 1960 w. B. MORRIS 2,961,791

LEVER OPERATED RIFLE Filed Nov. 9, 1956 2 sheis-sheex z F /6. ll. WILL MM 5. MORRIS INVENTOR.

LEVER OPERATED RIFLE William B. Morris, Rte. 1, Box 215-13,

Smithfield, Tex.

Filed Nov. 9, 1956, Ser. No. 621,245

1 Claim. (Cl. 42-16) This invention relates to firearms and has reference to an improved action for a lever operated rifle.

An object of the invention is to provide a simplified automatic safety for blocking the trigger when opening the finger lever of a rifle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an action wherein there is no movement of the trigger except that required to release the trigger sear from the hammer sear.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trigger sear integral with the trigger for simplicity of construction, and for positive coaction with an automatic safety mechanism.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a hinged safety arm for automatically blocking the trigger immediately after the finger lever is first opened.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the trigger sear from releasing the hammer in the event pressure is applied to the trigger while the action is being closed.

Another object is to provide means for securely holding the hammer during the closing of the action.

Another object is to provide a scissors lift magazine follower and has for its purpose faster loading and unloading of the magazine.

Another object is to provide a magazine follower having a nearly constant spring load regardless of the number of cartridges in the magazine.

Another object is to provide a scissors type magazine lift for accommodating more cartridges in the magazine.

Another object is to provide longitudinally movable sleeve in which the breech bolt is rotatably and slidably mounted, which sleeve and bolt arrangement reduces lever travel and thereby provides faster operation of the rifle action.

Another object is to provide a longitudinally movable sleeve for a breech bolt, and which sleeve includes a forwardly projecting cartridge head support which serves as a stop when carrying a cartridge from the magazine to the chamber, and when ejecting a fired cartridge case.

Another object is to provide a breech bolt sleeve and extractor combination wherein the breech bolt may be of smaller diameter with the result that the receiver may be made narrower. Additionally, the sleeve and extractor combination makes possible smoother and quicker action when chambering a cartridge and when extracting the fired case.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a broken elevational and sectional view of a lever operated rifle embodying the features of the invention, and showing the action closed and cocked.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l, but showing the finger lever in its extended position and a fired cartridge being ejected.

Figure 3 is a broken elevation and partial sectional View of the finger lever, trigger, hammer and its compo- ?S tates Patent ice nent parts, and showing automatic means for blocking the trigger when the finger lever is only slightly extended.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, and showing the relative position of parts during the cocking operation.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a preferred breech bolt and showing the slide and lever arranged for cam action therewith, but apart from the sleeve in which the breech bolt turns.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing a modified means for actuating the breech bolt.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the breech bolt mounted in the sleeve and showing the latter hingedly connected with the forward end of the finger lever.

Figure 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the magazine receiver and magazine channel, and additionally showing the forward end of the breech bolt sleeve and lever connected therewith.

Figure 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the receiver taken on line 99 of Figure 1.

Fgure 10 is a bottom plan view, shown in partial broken section, of the magazine channel.

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the present scissors type magazine lift with cartridge thereon, together with a broken elevation and section of the magazine channel in which the lift operates.

The rifle shown in Figure 1 includes a stock 10, barrel 11, receiver 12 and recoil block 13. The barrel 11 is threaded in the receiver barrel ring 14, and the recoil block 13 is secured to the stock by means of a screw 15.

A feature of the invention is the breech bolt sleeve 16 shown in Figures 1, 2, 7 and 8, and which sleeve is comprised of a body 17 having a longitudinal bore 18 therethrough for slidably and rotatably receiving the breech bolt 19. One side of the sleeve 16 has a laterally projecting shoulder 20 for sliding action in a longitudinal groove 21 in the inner side surface of the receiver 12 and the recoil block 13. As shown in Figure l, the rearward end of the longitudinal groove 21 is transversely milled or otherwise transversely formed to provide a stop 22 to limit the rearward movement of the sleeve 16. The lower surface of the sleeve body 17 is channeled, as at 23, to receive the forward end of the finger lever 24, where the latter is hingedly connected therein by means of a transverse hinge pin 25. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the breech bolt 19, which is in axial alignment with the barrel 11, includes a firing pin 26 therethrough, and which pin includes a head 27 on its rear end, and firing pin spring, not shown. Parallel with the firing pin 26 and also slidably extending through the breech bolt 19, there is an ejector pin 28 which also has a head 29 on its rearward end, and which head is positioned to engage a stop 30 in the upper portion of the recoil block 13 when the sleeve 16 approaches the stop 22 in the groove 21. As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the upper rear portion of the sleeve 16 is cut away to accommodate the firing pin head 27 and the ejector pin head 29. Also shown in these figures is the ejector pin spring 31 for normally maintaining the ejector pin 28 inside of but flush with the forward end of the breech bolt 19.

The breech bolt 19 has locking lugs 32 for engaging projections 33 in and integral with the receiver 12. As shown in Figure 9, the projections 33 are arranged to receive and pass the locking lugs 32 when the latter are vertically positioned. When the lugs 32 are forwardly of the projections 33 the bolt 19 is rotated approximately 45 degrees so as to provide for locking of said bolt. Such partial rotation may be carried out by means of the arrangement and construction shown in Figures 5 and 7 wherein the surface of the bolt is provided with spaced and correspondingly disposed spiraled slots for coaction with the inner ends of headed pins 35 in a longitudinally disposed actuating slide 36. As shown in Figure 7,.the

slide 36 is mounted in an elongated slot 37 in one side of the sleeve 16 and above the projecting shoulder 20. An upwardly and rearwardly directed finger 38 integral with .thelever 24 .imparts a .cam action to the-pins35 causing forward andrearward movement of the same,

the direction of whichdepends upon the movement of the lever 24, and which pins, in-turn, impart a cam action to the bolt 19 by wayof the slots 34.

The upper forward portion of the sleeve 16 includes a forwardly projecting cartridge head support 39 which is notched, as at 40, to accommodate the upper breech bolt lug 32. Beneath the cartridge head support '39, and in the lower forwardportion of the body 17, .there is a slot 41 to accommodate ahinged extractor 42,..th'e latter being shown in Figurel where the same is hingedly supported-in the sleeve body 17 by means of a transverse pin 43. The claw of the extractor is normally urged toward the rim of the cartridge 45 by means of a compression spring 46. mounted in and projectingfrom the sleeve body 17.

The modified form of breech bolt 44 illustrated in Figure 6 includes the previously locking lugs 32a, firing pin 26a, and their component parts, but differs in its means for partially rotating and longitudinally moving the bolt. Instead of the cam slots 34, this form of the invention includes a pair of spaced spiraled teeth 45a on the rear end of the bolt providing a spiraled groove 45' therebetween, and which teeth are actuated by a forwardly directed finger 46a integral with the finger lever 24. It is believed to be obvious as to how the body 17 of the sleeve 16 would be modified to accommodate the teeth 45a and finger 46a.

The finger lever 24 heretofore described as being hingedly connected at its forward end with the sleeve 16, extends downwardly-through an opening 47 in a magazine channel 48' where the lever is provided with the usual trigger guard 49 and finger lever loop 50. A link 51 is hingedly connected at one end'with the finger lever 24 by means of a pin 52 whereas the other end of the link is hingedly connected in a slot 53 in a forwardly directed shoulder 54 in the lower forward portion of the recoil lock 13 and secured for hinged slidable movement therein by means of a transverse pin 55. The pin 55 is limited against displacement by means of vertical stops 56 brazed to the magazine channel 48 at the rear end of the opening 47. When the action is in its closed position, the link 51 assumes an acute angle'with respect to the axis of the barrel 11.

The finger lever 24 is relatively wide where the same traverses the magazine channel 48 when the action is in its closed position so as to accommodate the hammer 57 which is hinged to the lower forward portion of the lever by means of a transverse pin 58. The hammer 57 extends upwardly from the pin 58 to a position where the same may strike thehead 27 of the firing pin 26 and thence extends rearwardly, downwardly, and again forwardly where the'same terminates in a forwardly and upwardly hook 59. The hook 59 is designed to engage a flat surface 60'forming a rear part of an elongated flat plunger 61 'slidably mounted on the link .51. The forward end of the-plunger 61 includes an elongated opening 61a around the link hinge pin 52, and which plunger includes a longitudinal plunger 61]) therein for hearing against the hinge pin and which longitudinal plunger is spring loaded by means of a spring, not numbered, for normally urging the plunger 61b toward the hinged pin 52 extending to the rear end of said link. The flat parallel surface 60 of the plunger 61 has a laterally projecting cam 62, the purpose of which will be explained in the description of operation tofollow. The finger lever 24 is olfset and channeled to accommodate the hinged end of the hammer 57 as well as other parts hereinafter described, and which channeled offset is indicated by the reference numeral 63.

The trigger 64 also mounted in the lever 24 by means ofsaxpin .65, whichtrigger is .cfithin-';construction.=.-and

of flexible material in order that the trigger may yield when the action thereof is blocked in the manner to'be described. Inside of the trigger guard 49, integral with the trigger 64, and forwardly of the trigger pin 65, there is an integral shoulder 66 having a trigger spring 67 thereunder. Also integral with the trigger there is an upwardly projecting trigger sear 68 having a rearwardly directed hook 69 on the upper rear end thereof for engaging a hook 70 on the end of a depending spring loaded hinged hammer sea-r 71. The hammer sear 71 is hingedly mounted .on-the rear of the hammer 57 by means of a pin 72.

A feature of the invention has to do with a safety arm 73 hingedly mounted in the finger lever 24 above the trigger guard 49, forwardly'of the trigger sear 68, and arranged for coaction with the latter. The safety arm 73 includes a transverse pin 74 forwardly of a rear and upwardly directed projection 75, the latter being for coaction with the forward curved surface of a trigger sear 7.8. 'The curve 76 is in an are about the safety arm pivot pin 74, and the rear surface of the projection 75 is also generated about'the same point. When the rear portion of the arm 73 isdown, the'forward upper end of the sear 68 is in contact with the safety arm projection 75. The safety arm 73 includes a depending stop 77 for contact with the top of the finger guard 49, but this end of the safety arm is normally urged upwardly by means of a spring 78. The forward end of the safety arm 73 extends forwardly of the pin 74 where it has a depending projection 79 for coaction with a conventional safety button 80. As will become apparent, the safety arm 73 will operate inconjunction with or independently of the conventional safety button referred to.

The main spring assembly 81 includes a sleeve 82, a telescoping plunger 83 therein, a shouldered fitting 84 pivotally connected to the hammer 57 by means of pin 85, a shouldered pointed bearing '86 on the end of the sleeve and a compression spring 88 between the latter and the hinged fitting 84. The pointed bearing 86 engages a notch 87 in a hinged-main spring abutment arm 89 which is pivotally connected at one end thereof to the safety arm hinged pin 74. The rear upper edge of the hinged abutment 89 is in contact with the forward edge of the safety arm projection 75, and the upper forward end of the abutment has a cam 90 thereon for coaction with the cam 62 on the plunger 61, and which has to do with releasing the safety just before the action is completely closed. A transverse pin 91 in the finger lever and its offset 63 provides a stop for the hammer 57.

The scissors type lift 92, shown in Figure 11, is comprised of a horizontal follower 93 for supporting cartridges 45 thereon and crossed forward and rear arms 94 and 95 which are pivoted to each other at their intersection by means of a pin 96. A slotted guide 97 is secured to the forward lower surface of the follower 93 where it receives a pin 98 extending through the forward end of the rear arm 95. The rear end of the rear arm 95 has an elongated notch 99 for hingedly engaging the link pin 52 in the recoil block 13. The forward end of the arm 94 is forwardly and upwardly inclined where it pivotally engages a transverse pin 100 through the magazine channel. As shown in Figures 1 and 11, this arm 94 extends through an opening 101 in the forward magazine wall 102. A coil spring 103 engages the arm 94 and is mounted around the pin 160, which spring is additionally secured to a stationary part, not shown, of the rifle. The spring 103 is arranged to normally raise the follower 93 and the cartridges 45 supported thereon. The rear arm 95 has a laterally projecting button 104, the shank of which extends through a vertical slot 105 in the side wall of the magazine channel 48.

As shown in Figures 8 and 10, a magazine 106 is located in one side of the magazine channel 48 and includes .an .inner Mertical longitudinal wall 107 .whieh;ex-

tends upwardly into the receiver 12 where it terminates to provide passage means for the upper cartridge moving from the magazine into the receiver.

In Figure 1 the rifle is shown in its closed cocked position and ready to fire. Actuation of the trigger 64 releases the trigger sear 68 from the hammer sear 70, and the hammer 57 strikes the firing pin head 27 which, in turn, causes the firing pin 26 to fire the cartridge 45. The finger lever 24 is then moved downwardly by means of the finger lever loop 50, and at which time the action of the finger 38 or 46a on the lever causes the breech bolt to rotate and unlock the lugs 32 from the projections 33 in the receiver 12. Continued downward movement of the lever 24 withdraws the fired case from the barrel 11 by means of the extractor 42 as the sleeve 16 is moved rearwardly. Even before the lugs 32 are rotated there is enough delayed action between the lever and the bolt to disengage the cam 90 on the hinged abutment 89 from the cam 62 on the plunger 61 and cause the abutment to depress the safety arm 73 and cause the projection 75 on the latter to engage the trigger sear 68. Continued downward movement of the lever 24 causes the hammer hook 59 to pass the end of the plunger 61. It is to be understood that during this opening operation the main spring assembly 81 maintains the hinged abutment 89 against the projection 75 on the safety arm 73, and as the finger lever 24 reaches its completely open position the ejector pin head 29 contacts the stop 30 in the recoil block 13 and causes the ejector pin 28 to disengage the cartridge case 45 from the extractor 42 and eject the case downwardly through the slot 107 in the magazine channel 48.

As the finger lever is closed, a cartridge 45 from the magazine 106 is picked up in the usual manner and the chambering operation begins. At the same time the hammer hook 59 approaches and engages the flat longitudinal surface 60 on the plunger 61. During the lever closing operation, the main spring assembly 81 is acting on the hinged abutment 89 which, in turn, maintains the projection 75 on the safety arm 73 against the forward edge of the trigger sear 68. Further closing of the lever 24 causes the trigger sear hook 69 to engage the hammer sear 71, and further continued closing action of the lever disengages the hammer hook 59 from the plungers flat surface 60. Final closing of the finger lever 24 causes the cam 90 on the hinged abutment 89 to engage the cam 62 on the plunger 61 and thereby release the hinged abutment from the projection 75 on the safety arm which, in turn, moves upwardly by action of spring 78, provided there is no pressure on the trigger 64.

Prior to final closing of the finger lever 24 the cartridge 45 is completely chambered and the breech bolt 44 is locked by rotation of the lugs 32 integral therewith by action of the finger 38 or 46a on the spiraled slots 34 or spiraled teeth 45a. It is pointed out that the conventional button safety 80 does not interfere with the action of the safety arm 73, and that if the conventional safety is on the same will hold the safety arm projection against the trigger sear 68 in the intended manner.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary constructions herein shown and described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a rifle including a receiver having locking projections in the forward end thereof, a sleeve longitudinally movable in said receiver, a breech bolt rotatably mounted in said sleeve, a lever pivotally connected with said sleeve and extending downwardly and rearwardly through said receiver, fulcrum means intermediate the ends of said lever whereby said sleeve and said bolt are moved longitudinally in said receiver, a spiraled groove in said bolt, a longitudinal slot in said sleeve opposite said spiraled groove, an actuating slide slidably mounted in said slot, a pin mounted in said actuating slide and engaging said spiraled groove, the length of said actuating slide being less than the length of said slot, and locking lugs on the forward end of said bolt adapted to engage said locking projections in said receiver.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,290,834 Hammond Jan. 7, 1919 1,294,454 Hammond Feb. 18, 1919 1,435,327 Nelson Nov. 14, 1922 1,685,148 Conant Sept. 25, 1928 2,043,281 Burton June 9, 1936 2,465,699 Smith Mar. 29, 1949 2,515,809 Sunden July 18, 1950 2,599,132 Sass June 3, 1952 2,622,359 Belleri Dec. 23, 1952 2,638,694 Morris May 19, 1953 2,648,153 Dicke Aug. 11, 1953 2,649,800 Peters Aug. 25, 1953 2,715,789 Garand Aug. 23, 1955 2,761,234 Bradley Sept. 4, 1956 2,765,561 Morris "2---- Oct. 9, 1956 

